A committee of Himachal Pradesh Socialist Party constituted in Shimla

 

A meeting of the workers of Himachal Pradesh Socialist Party held on 24 September 2011 in Shimla under chairmanship of senior socialist leader Devraj Duggal. Dr. Prem Singh, national General Secretary of the Socialist Party attended the meeting as  chief guest. Rakesh Kumar Dubey, member, Delhi unit of the Socialist Yuvjan Sabha (SYS), the youth wing of the party, also attended the meeting. Dr. Prem Singh, in his inaugural address, called upon the party workers to devote their efforts solely in strengthening the party apparatus in the state so that the Socialist Party could fight coming panchayat, local body and Vidhan Sabha elections effectively. He emphasized the need of a much awaited alternative political force in Himachal Pradesh. He further elaborated that the citizens of Himachal Pradesh are fad up with Congress-BJP hegemony and are looking forward for a positive change. The Socialist Party could be the appropriate vehicle for that change.

A 6 member ad-hoc committee was formed in the meeting to do the party work in Himachal Pradesh. Devraj Duggal has been nominated as the convener of the committee. The other members of the committee are: Indra Chand Gupta, Advocate Santram, Advocate Ishwar Chanra Gupta, Prof. D. N. Kalia and Prof. Vijay Singh. The committee has been entrusted to launch the membership drive, form the state unit of the party and convene the state convention by the end of November this year. The committee is authorized to include other members in the list district wise keeping in view the proper representation of women, youth, minorities, dalits and tribals. It was further decided that the Himachal Pradesh unit of the SYS will be formed at the earliest.    

Dr Prem Singh informed the members about Socialist Party's decision to hold a Satyagrah Campaign at national level from 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti) to 12 October 2011 (Dr. Rammanohar Lohia’s death anniversary). During this campaign, the party will demand total abolition of the Land Acquisition Act and formation of a Land Use Commission in the country. The burning issues like price rise, unemployment and corruption will also be highlighted with the view that an alternative politics and economy, based on Gandhian-socialist principles and also the Preamble and the Directive Principles of the Constitution, can only uproot these problems. The Satyagrah Campaign in Himachal Pradesh will be held under the auspices of newly formed committee.

Dr. Prem Singh inaugurated the office of the Himachal Pradesh Socialist Party i.e. 4 -Lahanu Bhawan, Jakhu, Shimla-171001, phone: 0177-2658108.  

After the meeting, Dr. Prem singh and Devraj Duggal addressed a well-attended press conference held at the Shimla Press Club.

Report issued by the Himachal Pradesh Socialist Party office.

Socialist Party meetings at Chandigarh and Delhi

          A meeting of the party workers of Punjab state and Chandigarh Union Territory was held in Chandigarh on 17 September 2011 to form the adhoc committees of Punjab and Chandigarh units of the Socialist Party (India). Party's General Secretary Dr. Prem Singh, in his inaugural address, called upon the party members to devote all their efforts, resources  and time in spreading and strengthening the party. He also to get prepared for the coming legislative assembly elections in Punjab. He imphasised that young blood should be persuaded and included in the party at all levels. Party members from Delhi Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Dr. Kunal and Niraj Singh also attended the meeting.  

A 13 member committee, representing different districts, was formed for Punjab state under the convenership of Harendra Singh Mansahia and a 5 member committee under the convenership of Ashok Nirdosh was formed for Chandigarh. The members of the Punjab committee are : Om Singh, Dharam Paul, Mehar Chandra Bhalla, Swarn Singh, Hukam Chand, Ashok Kumar, Gurtej Singh, Malkiat Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Hartej Singh, Rajendra Singh Daani and Balwant Singh Minya.  Chandigarh committee members are : Ratan Singh Baghi, Narendra Puri, Bhanu Pratap and Ramchandra Mishra.

It was decided that the state convention of the party will be held in November. The party will hold various activities during the Satyagrah program to be held from 2 October to 12 October 2011. A seminar on Dr. Rammanohar Lohia and Jai Prakash Narayan will be organised by the party in Chandigarh on 11-12 October as a part of the Satyagrah program. Senior socialist leader Mehar Chand Bhalla presided over the proceedings.

Dr Prem Singh, senior socialist leaders Ratan Singh Baghi and Balwant Singh Kheda along with conveners of Punjab and Chandigarh units addressed a press conference at the end of the meeting.

A meeting of the Socialist Party workers of Delhi state was held on 18 September 2011 in Delhi to discuss the future course of action in the NCR region. Senior socialist leader of Delhi Mrs. Renu Gambhir has been nominated as convener of the Delhi state unit of the party. A 12 member adhoc committee was formed which includes : Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Dr.Mohammad Yunus, Dr. Hemlata, Kedarnath, Dharamvir Singh Khari,  Sahur Khan, Indradev, Lata Yadav, Upendra Styarthi, Poonam, Rajesh Chauhan Satyaprakash Singh.

It was decided in the meeting that Satyagrah campaign (from 2 October to 12 October 2011) will be held in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) simultaneously. The state convention of the party will be held in the last week of November. Membership drive and fund raising campaign will be organised on  large scale.      

A 11 member adhoc committee of Socialist Yuvjan Sabha (SYS) was also formed for Delhi state. Shashank Bhardwaj and Ajay Kumar have been nominated conveners and Jayant Kashyap, Sumit Saurav, Sachchidanand Singh, AnupTiwari, Yashwant, Rajeev Kumar, Amit Kumar,  Dr. Kunal and Nikhil Pandey as members of this committee. Dr. Sandeep Yadav will be incharge of the SYS, Delhi state. The meeting was attended by Justice Rajinder Sachar who gave valuable suggestions for the SPI and SYS. Indradev, who presided over the meeting congratulated the newly formed committees' members and urged them to work hard to strengthen the party base in the capital city of India.      

Press Release/Invitation

Satyagrah Campaign by Socialist Party from 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti) to

 12 October (Dr. Lohia's Death Anniversary) 2011.

The Socialist Party has organised a Satyagrah Campaign all over the country from 2 October to 12 October 2011 to highlight issues and problems of the common people. On this occasion, Delhi unit of the party will organise following programs in the various parts of the city:

1.      A rally from Delhi Gate to Chandani Chowk-Ghantaghar will be held on 2 October at 11 am. Justice Rajinder Sachar will flag of the rally.

2.      A rally from Taimur Nagar to Batla House will be held on 9 October at 3 pm which will culminate in a public meeting at Azim Dairy Chowk. Kuldip Nayar, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Dr. Raj Kumar Jain,  Dr. Prem Singh will address the public meeting.  

3.      Another rally from Mundka village to Kanjhawala village will be held on 11 October at 4 pm.

4.      A day-long dharana against the neo-liberal policies will be held at Rajghat on 12 October.

A pamphlet will be distributed during the Stayagrah Campaign raising the following demands:

1. The Land Acquisition Act should be scrapped.

2.      A Land Use Commission should be constituted without further delay.

3.      The privatisation of education in any form should be stopped. Quality education through common school system should be imparted in the mother tongue of the student.

4.      Privatisation of electricity and water in Delhi should be stopped. Prices of electricity, water, petrol, milk and other items should be reduced immediately.

5.      In Delhi villages, keeping in view the interests of all sections, facilities of residence, road, electricity, water, library, women centers, children centers, parks, community centers, health centers, schools, colleges, vocational institutes etc. should provided on priority basis.

6.      All colonies should be regularised with all civic facilities.

7.      Law and order, particularly safety of women, should be made effective and responsible.


Kindly send your reporter/team to cover this important event of public interest.
                                                

सत्याग्रह अभियान

TRUTH OF GUJARAT – VIS-À-VIS MODI’S FAST

RAJINDAR SACHAR                                     

The fast by Modi has got an excessive coverage, which defies logic. The critics have rightly projected it as self image building by Modi to project himself as Prime Ministerial candidate and under the cover of slogan of Sadbhavna as an attempt to wash off his sinful conduct in post Godhra period. I am clear in my mind that in the matter of governments complicity in gory happenings like 1984 genocide in Delhi and 2002 Godhra genocide in Gujarat, there can never be a question of forgiveness. There are certain crimes and human Right violations which can never be forgiven or forgotten though no doubt we must learn from them and so modulate our political and social programming, that such like events never shame us again. But that process can only be if the perpetrator of crime is seen as genuinely contrite which alone can create confidence in those who suffered untold miseries. That has not yet happened.
One is sad and amused at the carnival response of Congress in purporting to observe fast at the same time. I wish the congress instead had programmed and brought out the unspeakable condition in Gujarat camps where large number of  Muslims are still living in misery. Also Vaghela would have done well if he and his colleagues had chalked out a definite program to create conducive atmosphere so that hundreds of Muslim families who are afraid to go back to their villages could go back with dignity and assured safety.
The media though somewhat critical of Modi’s Sadbhavana/Secular pretensions have unfortunately swallowed the propaganda of development oriented programmers in Gujarat and ignoring its perversions which have in fact led to greater pauperization of masses, possibly because those policies coincide with the neo liberal and anti farmer policies of the corporate sector. All this information uncomplimentary to Modi was placed in a public hearing when Anna Hazare visited Gujarat in May 2011 (in a report prepared amongst others by PUCL (Gujarat), Socialist party and other concerned citizens of Gujarat.)
Thus 30,000 farmers walked nearly 350 k.m. to protest against the cement plant being set up at Mahuva, which if it happens will lead to a total loss of 25, 000 bigha land on which 1,25,000 people survive. The cement factory would provide direct employment to only 498 persons.
One of the biggest scandal and human Right violation of Human Rights is taking place in the much touted boast of Narmada Dam. Even at present hundreds of families are still displaced though even the award postulated complete rehabilitation of the oustees. The boast of Modi that Narmada was to supply water to the farmers in belied by the established fact that only 29% of the Canal work has been done. As recently as 2009 came Rs. 260 crore scam pertaining to National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

As for Right to Education, a fundamental Right, Gujarat government is ironically closing 3000 primary Schools on the alleged unacceptable plea of lack of attendance and the plan is in fact to lease it to private bodies.
One of the biggest scandals highlighted was the land allotment at throwaway rate to private industrialists in capital Gandhi Nagar, without holding public auction. The beneficiaries are big Builders construction companies and other corporate houses with not so good public acceptability. This has resulted in a loss to Gujarat State as per market Rate allotment of Rs. 5197,1622,317/- i.e. (Rs. Five thousand One hundred Ninety-seven crores and Sixteen lakhs and Twenty-two thousand Three Hundred and Seventeen.)
The labor disputes has increased by 600% in last 5 years, but instead of 100% increase in the labor machinery staff the Government has reduced the staff by 40 -60%.

Regarding expenditure for social sector by 18 large States of India, Gujarat embarrassingly stands at 17^th (Monthly Bulletin of Reserve Bank of India February, 2007).
Gujarat stands 14^th in infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for 0-1 year and 13^th for 0-5  years 47%  malnourishment  among  0-5 years old children. About 67%
Women are anemic and of them 80.1% of girls aged between 6 to 35 months are anemic.
Global index on hunger reports India with 66^th rank, Gujarat is ranking 69th , which is actually as low as Haiti in Africa (International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 2008.
While I unreservedly accept some positive features of Gujarat, like it has 90 percent paved roads to villages, 98 percent electrified villages with 80 percent electrified homes and 18 hours of electricity everyday, 86 percent piped water supply compared to other states, but unfortunately it can not be overlooked that amidst all this, poverty, hunger, lack of sense of security amongst Minority thrive. To gave an instance: to overcome the Muslim deficit in different levels of education, the central government has launched a nationwide scholarship scheme with effect from April 1, 2008. All states have responded favorably, with the only exception of Gujarat which has not implemented even the pre-matric scholarships for minorities. There are 55,000 scholarships  allocated  to  Gujarat of which 53,000 are to be given to the deserving Muslims, but Gujarat has not even cared to implement this program.  
Modi proudly proclaimed at his alleged Sadbavana Jamboree that he did not recognize doing anything especially for the minorities but that they are to be treated only as Gujaratis. Modi apparently has not been properly coached about Indian Constitution. Of course all residents (6 crores) living in Gujarat are Gujaratis. That is their one identity. But the Minority have also other identities – they are Indians and Muslims just like Majority – they are Gujarati’s, Hindus and Indians. As emphasized by Noble laureate Amartaya Sen, each one of us has multiple identities and each of it deserves equal recognition and protection. Some body must tell Modi that our constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court has loudly proclaimed that: “The purpose of law in plural societies is not the progressive assimilation of the minorities in the majoritarian milieu. This would not solve the problem; but would vainly seek to dissolve it.”
It is axiomatic that in any country the faith and the confidence of the minorities in the impartial and even functioning of he State is the acid test of being a civilized State – this is accepted wisdom, and was expressed succinctly by Lord Acton thus; “A state which is incompetent to satisfy Minorities condemns itself; a state which labours to neutralize, to absorb or to expel them is destitute of the chief basis of self-government”. Can one hope Modi to so modulate in his future policies in the light of these constitutional and wise pronouncements.

RAJINDAR SACHAR

Dated : 30/09/2011

New Delhi.

राजनीतिक-आर्थिक प्रस्ताव

Images of Socialist Party (India) Karnataka State meeting